Category Archives: Reuse

A Recycled Holiday

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This holiday season I am all about making recycled decorations and I got everyone at work on board too! So this season we made a Recycled Holiday window at the store. Everything in the window was made with old magazines, packing material, and used printer paper.

magazine trees

I love these magazine trees! They are so easy and fun, all you have to do is fold! I have seen these lots of different places so it’s hard to credit one person. But I think the first time I saw these was at one of my favorite stores in Hampden, Red Tree. Theirs were different shapes but same basic idea.

Yellow Pages Tree

And just because we are all OCD artists, we made a Yellow Pages Tree! I think that at least five people worked on this. But it was just too big so we did have to cut it in half.

magazine ornaments

Magazine Ornament

We also made these super simple ornaments with the covers of magazines and a stapler. A few people went above and beyond and really got creative with it.

Store window

So there you go, a fun holiday window for zero cost! Happy Holidays!

Cheap and Easy Wall Decoration

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This past weekend we had some friends over which, for me, is another reason to finally get to various DIY projects on my list. A few weeks ago I saw a beautiful, modern wall decoration that consisted of cut cardboard tubes (can’t remember what blog it was on :/ …Apartment Therapy? maybe?). I used the stiff paper from the inside of a wrapping paper roll. By using stiff paper instead of cardboard tubes I was able to change the sizes of the circles.

I’m really happy with the way they turned out. I’m thinking about adding more to the wall and maybe painting the inside of every circle dark grey. You know, just to make my life more difficult.

close up

wall decoration

Faux Oragami Gift Wrapping

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Finished oragami wrapping

At my job I receive packages every day and sometimes the packing material is more exciting to me than the merchandise in the box. A few months ago I came across this packing material that I loved. It was very similar to chartham satin, which is kind of like a thick tissue paper. I saved it knowing that I would find a use for it. And just a few weeks ago I did. Above is the finished product of my faux origami gift wrapping. My friend Anne’s birthday was a few weeks ago and had a fabulous typography birthday party. I am not the greatest with type but I thought something with lines would be good for a graphic designer. First I wrapped the gift with an opaque paper. Then I folded multiple pieces of the transparent paper and began laying them across the gift to make different patterns.

wrapping in progress

It took some time playing around with it to get something I really liked. I then flipped it over and began carefully folding the paper around the back side of the gift and taping it down. I am really happy with the way it turned out and was able to re-use paper that would have normally gone in the recycle bin. It got one more life!

Mail Holders

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Final product

In a house with four roommates we really need our own space for things and that includes mail. I have seen many pocket style mail holders in stores but couldn’t stand spending $30 bucks just to put my mail someplace! So this is my version that I came up with. It was surprisingly easy. And here’s how I did it.

Supplies: Scissors, decorative paper, left over cereal boxes and double-sided tape

First I measured the area and cut the cardboard to size, adding an inch and a half for the side flaps. I then covered the inside of the back with a light green paper.

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Next, I folded and taped the box up and covered it with decorative paper that was left over from another project. As a final little touch I stamped each persons initial on the front.

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Banana Peel Shoe Polish

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Banana Peel Shoe Polish

Did you know that most states require you to dispose of shoe polish as a hazardous waste? Your average shoe polish is composed of 65-77% volatile substances and must be used in a well ventilated area preferably while wearing gloves. But why bother with all those chemicals when a simple banana peel and old stockings will do the job!

I first saw this tip on Tree Hugger. First brush off all loose dirt with a soft brush or cloth. Next rub the inside of a banana peel onto your shoe (do not use on nubuck or suede). Then simply buff with a clean, soft cloth or an old stocking. Finally, compare to the un-shined shoe and marvel at your work! I also love this trick because you can use it on any color shoe. No more searching for that certain shade of red.

Altered Dress

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I am a thrift store junkie and always look for things that I can alter. This dress at first glance was quite horrible. But it had nice fabric, an interesting neckline and button detailing. And oh yeah did I mention it was only $2.60

Before:

Altered Dress #1 Before

After:

Altered Dress #1 After